Will shift airport project if people not willing to give land: Thakur

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, November 17

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday said the international airport project could be shifted to some other part of the state if Mandi residents were not willing to give their land.

The Chief Minister was here to inaugurate the “Integrated Cooperatives Development Programme” on the occasion of All-India Cooperative Week at the Chakar milk plant. There is a proposal to construct an airport on the 5-km stretch between Nagchala and Mandi in Balh, where government and private land needs to be acquired.

A team of experts visited the district a few months ago and identified a site for the airport in the Balh valley. Since then, people of area have been opposing the same. They have even resorted to protests. This upset the Chief Minister and on Saturday, he made it clear that he was keen to construct the international airport in Himachal. He said: “If people of the area are not ready to sacrifice their land, the government will look some other site. There are places, where people are ready to give their land for the airport.”

“It is my dream project and the people’s cooperation is a must. Adequate compensation will be provided to the affected people,” he said.

However, it is to be seen if the people will accept the proposal of the government or will oppose it to protect their fertile land as Balh is known as mini-Punjab.